Version: CN
The 15th general election (GE15) has been rumored for a long time coming, and now the Election Commission has finally announced that the 15th general election (GE15) will be held on Saturday, November 19! The nomination day will take place on November 5, and the entire campaign period will last up to 2 weeks.
Compared to the previous general elections, this year’s general election will be presented with a “new look”. As a voter, don’t forget to check your voter information and fulfill your voter responsibilities before the general election.
Here are 7 facts you must know about the GE15!
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1. Voting age lowered to 18 years old
The number of voters in the 15th general election will increase significantly. This is because the government has lowered the voting age in Malaysia from 21 to 18, and new voters will automatically become registered voters.
According to data from the Election Commission, the total number of voters in our country has reached 21,113,234 as of June this year, out of which 1,141,749 (5.4%) are first-time voters aged 18 to 20. By 2023, the number of voters nationwide is expected to increase to 22.7 million.
2. Extended voting hours
The voting time for the 14th general election was from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. However, with the increase in the number of voters, the government announced to extend the voting time in order to allow voters to have sufficient time to vote. Voting hours in West Malaysia are from 8.00am to 6.00pm, while those in East Malaysia are from 7.30am to 5.30pm.
3. 4 new political parties to compete in GE15
In the GE15, in addition to the generally seen political parties, there will be four new political parties competing for the general election. This include those organized by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in hopes of bringing reforms to the country.
4. Enforcement of Anti-Hopping Law
The “Anti-Hopping Law” was finally approved by two-thirds of the members of Congress in July this year to prohibit the government elected by the people from hopping between different parties. This law was enforced to restore people’s confidence in democracy and encourage everyone to come out to vote more enthusiastically.
5. 6 States will not participate for the first time in GE15
In the previous general elections, only the Sarawak state assembly did not participate. However, in this general election, it is expected that six state assemblies will not be dissolved or participate in the general election for the first time, including Selangor, Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan.
According to the announcement by the Election Commission, only the state assemblies of Perlis, Pahang and Perak will participate in this general election, and the Sabah seat will also hold a by-election on this day.
6. 7 bills to be brought back to Congress
At least 7 bills were forced to be postponed due to the government’s abrupt announcement of dissolution of Parliament. These include Budget 2023, Trade Unions Act 2022, Environmental Quality Act 2022, Renewable Energy Act , the Sustainable Energy Development Authority Act, amendments to the Criminal Code and amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure. They are expected to be brought back to Congress after a new government is formed.
7. COVID-19 positive voters allowed to vote in GE15
In addition, since this general election encountered the pandemic for the first time, the Ministry of Health also advised voters to protect themselves, and also announced that COVID-19 positive voters can go vote, but must abide by the 4 following rules:
- All voters are encouraged to wear masks. Masks are mandatory for those who are diagnosed.
- Voters who have tested positive are only allowed to drive to the polling center. Taking public transport, including Grab to the polling centre is not allowed.
- All voters are recommended to bring their own sanitizer or use the sanitizer provided at voting centers to sanitize their hands.
- All voters are encouraged to maintain a safe social distance, especially those who have been diagnosed.
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